My Interests: Drums and Percussion Instruments

Te Ao Hou, December 1968, Page 55

My Interests: Drums and Percussion Instruments In the early days, in the heart of Africa, chiefs of different tribes and their people would be summoned to a tribal gathering with drums. To the average European venturing into that almost unconquerable region, the throbs of the host-village's drum may have caused a deep feeling of fear and indecision to enter their hearts. During the day the sound of drums may have been made inaudible owing to the sounds and noises of the surrounding jungle, but

the well-trained message-receiver had his ears alert to every change in the steady rhythm. In the early stages of civilization and the latter stages of primitive life, drums played a large part in communication. To youngsters, no Cowboy and Indian movie would be complete without the distant rumble of tribal drums and the puffs of smoke usually drifting up behind a butte in the landscape. But apart from the publicity which is gained from the Indian films many peoples have at some time or another used drums in pagan or traditional ceremony. Therefore the drum became, in the realms of primitive lands, symbols of both communication and ceremony. The main use of drums nowadays is to provide beat. In the big orchestras, which have long faded into the past, the drums and the cymbals could be seen beating out the time, although their position in the percussion section of the orchestra was not prominent. Xylophones were used in some of these orchestras and with the glockenspiels and chimes lent to the harmony of the orchestral instruments. In more modern periods with the introduction of jazz, drums have been combined into sets. In the days of Gene Krupa, the fashion was to have two sets of drums. The reason was that the drums were tuned to different keys and the range of sounds was extended. In some cases two men played drum duets as part of the act. A latter semi jazz and modern group, ‘Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass’ used a single set and a xylophone. These formed the background for many of the hit tunes he and his men put out. From primitive natives of uncivilized lands to millionaires like ‘the Beatles’. Their personal character and voices may have been a large part of their success, but how could they sing without backing and how could they keep the steady tempo without Ringo's never failing fingers and his set of drums? In the early stages of their top development Ringo was the most popular of the group. Apart from his crazy escapades and his rings, which gave him more publicity, he also started a new beat. Now when young couples enter the usually crowded dance-halls and hear the band playing, and the fellow in the background behind the jumble of drums, they do not pause to think that years ago, the beat they hear may have graced a native ceremony or sent a message of importance to outlying tribes in Africa. No, they jerk and twist in accordance with the beat and tempo of both the guitarists and drummer. Charlie Taipana, Lower VI, Feilding